"I love blogs and go berserk about them because its the first chance
the people could own the printing press. Well, now the people own the
broadcast tower, and that's cool," Jarvis says.

Reminded that newspapers and radio companies are getting on the podcast
wagon, Jarvis told NPR's Renee Montagne, "What excites me is not big
media companies finding another way to create more media. What excites
me about this movement is that it is the people talking."

The NPR page links to several podcasts I hadn't heard before, and to
four earlier NPR stories about the phenomenon. I've been putting off my
own podcast ideas for lack of time, not to mention the sophisticated equipment the podcast masters use. Maybe it's time to head to the store...

(Yes, that equipment picture shows an
iRiver MP3 player, a small white $15 Griffin stereo microphone, a hotel
room lamp and coathanger. For amateurs, carrying the lamp around is probably the hardest part of podcasting.
I've been thinking of attaching my microphone to my banjo instead, for
more of a Tennessee sound. On the other hand, the podcaster in the picture, Adam Curry, is now thinking of podcasting as a business, complete with a satellite radio connection.)

"Blogging has changed my career and opened all these doors," Jarvis says, "I've learned
a tremendous amount (or think I have) about the future of the press
thanks to the conversation I've had here with you all."10:41:14 AM